Performance Goals
How Goals Help Supervisors
Manage Employees More Effectively
© BLR®—Business & Legal Resources 1408
Session Objectives
Understand the benefits of setting
performance goals
Tailor goals to the needs of each employee
Set goals to motivate superior performance
Incorporate goals successfully in the
appraisal process
© BLR®—Business & Legal Resources 1408
What You Need to Know
• Purpose of performance goals
• Criteria for setting effective goals
• Steps in the goal-setting process
• How to individualize performance goals
and develop action plans
• Goal-setting review and evaluation
• Setting new goals
© BLR®—Business & Legal Resources 1408
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Purpose of
Performance Goals
• Communicate expectations
• Set measurable standards
• Provide a pathway
to growth, and opportunity
• Motivate employees to
perform
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Purpose of
Performance Goals (cont.)
• Provide an objective
basis for compensation
• Target training
• Create a focus for
performance appraisals
© BLR®—Business & Legal Resources 1408
Performance Goals
And the Law
• Equal opportunity laws
• Labor laws
© BLR®—Business & Legal Resources 1408
Criteria for Effective
Performance Goals
JOB
MEASURABLE
OBSERVABLE
RELEVANT
RELATED
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Criteria for Effective
Performance Goals (cont.)
•
•
•
•
•
Attainable
Reasonable
Specific
Challenging
Prioritized
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© BLR®®—Business & Legal Resources 1408
© BLR —Business & Legal Resources 1408
Criteria for Effective
Performance Goals (cont.)
• Individualized
• Flexible
• Written
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© BLR®—Business & Legal Resources 1408
Performance Goals and
Employee Success
• Do you understand
the information
presented in the
previous slides?
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The Goal-Setting Process
Set performance goals with employees
Monitor performance
Document observations
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The Goal-Setting
Process (cont.)
• Evaluate performance
• Discuss performance
• Set new performance
goals together
© BLR®—Business & Legal Resources 1408
Individualizing
Performance Goals
• Review job
descriptions and hiring
specifications
• Review past
performance
• Compare performance
with goals
© BLR®—Business & Legal Resources 1408
© BLR®—Business & Legal Resources 1408
Individualizing
Performance Goals (cont.)
• Physical or environmental limitations
• Team goals
• Employee’s career growth
• Manager’s goals and your
own goals
© BLR®—Business & Legal Resources 1408
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Developing an Action Plan
For Each Performance Goal
• One goal for each job
• Guidelines for
achievement
• Time frame
• Measurement standard
© BLR®—Business & Legal Resources 1408
Reviewing and
Evaluating Achievement
• Were goals achieved?
• If not, why not?
• What problems were
encountered?
• What new skills,
experience, were
gained?
• What’s the next step?
© BLR®—Business & Legal Resources 1408
Setting New Goals
• Goals not yet achieved
• Career development
goals
• Changing
company needs
• Additional training
or coaching
• Next level of
achievement
© BLR®—Business & Legal Resources 1408
Setting Effective
Performance Goals
• Do you understand the
information presented in
the previous slides?
© BLR®—Business & Legal Resources 1408
The Employee’s
Role in Goal-Setting
• Encourage active
participation
• Listen to concerns and
aspirations
• Seek mutual agreement
• Seek a good fit
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Key Points To Remember
Performance goals motivate and direct
employee achievement
They are essential to the success of
employees, your department, and the
organization
Work together with employees to develop
meaningful and useful goals
Link each goal to an action plan
© BLR®—Business & Legal Resources 1408